Caskets, whether fabricated of wood or metal, have traditionally been provided with attractive exteriors. Finely polished wood and metal finishes are typically provided for wood and metal caskets, respectively. Further, caskets have traditionally been provided with decorative exterior hardware, for example, decorative carrying handle bars and decorative “ears” or “escutcheons” covering the attachment points of the handle bars to the casket shell. Still further, caskets are typically provided with decorative corner ornaments mounted to the corners of the casket shell.
Caskets have also traditionally been outfitted with decorative interiors. These interiors have taken the form of a decorative cap panel and peripheral puffing mounted in the underside of the casket cap or lid, a pillow, and shirred or other decorative fabric lining the interior side walls and head end end wall of the casket shell. In addition, the side wall of the casket shell opposite the hinge connection of the cap to the shell, as well as the head end end wall of the casket shell, typically carry an additional, larger, piece of shirred or other decorative fabric for overlaying the top edge of the casket shell during periods when the casket cap is opened for presentation and viewing of the deceased. The smaller decorative fabric portions which line the interior side walls and head end end wall of the casket shell are each known as a “small body,” whereas the larger piece of decorative fabric which is placed over the casket shell edge during presentation and viewing is known as the “big body.” The big body thus provides a means for concealing the shell upper edge or flange during presentation and viewing, presenting a finished look. In the case of “sealer” metal caskets which carry a rubber flange gasket on the shell edge to provide a seal between shell and cap, the big body conceals the gasket. Polyester or other batting material is typically included in the small and big bodies in order to provide firmness, fullness, etc.
A drawback to the traditional fabric big body is that, when deployed over the edge of the casket shell during presentation and viewing, it tends to hang down over a portion or all of the decorative escutcheons, corner ornaments and/or decorative surface, of the casket shell. It is therefore desirable to provide a decorative cover treatment for the casket shell edge, which does not conceal these decorative features of the casket shell.
Another drawback to the traditional fabric big body is that it has a bulky, dated appearance. It is therefore desirable to provide a more contemporary look to the casket by eliminating the current bulky big body.
Yet another drawback to the traditional fabric big body is that it requires time intensive, tedious manual smoothing, straightening and/or manipulation of the fabric to present the best appearance of the big body, due to the flaccid nature of the fabric. It is therefore desirable to provide a decorative cover treatment for the casket shell edge, which does not require such attention.